After Allegiant
by kaseys328
Summary: After Allegiant, Tobias spirals into a deep depression. But what will happen when a ghost reappears? Peter/Christina; Four (Tobias)/Tris Tori is alive... because I couldn't just leave her dead like that... sorry. Kind of outdated. If you like this, please check out my profile, where a Boarding School (High School) FF will be up soon. 3 Sorry.
1. Impossibilities

Author's Notes:

Thought you should get the premise of the story:

It's two years after Tris' murder, but Tobiashasn't moved on. Evelyn moved out months ago. The rest you'll just have to read and find out!

Okay, spoiler alert, I'm bringing FourTris into the story.

Please read and review! I enjoy constructive criticism and I love hearing creative advice! If anything about the characters seems out of the ordinary to you, plecase don't hesitate to ask about it. This is my first fan fiction and I'm super excited to hear some reviews!

"Four."

I moan, not wanting to wake from my slumber, my dreams of what was and what could have been.

"Four. C'mon bro, I know you're awake."

I groan and turn away from Peter.

"Buddy. Get up. You've been asleep since five last night. It's 2 pm. Get up."

"Frick that."

"No. You gotta get up and be a person. Plus, I may or may not have set you up with someone tonight at eight. So..."

I roll away from him almost childishly, trying to get away from this child reality. "Peter, stop trying to set me up with random girls you meet on the bus."

"They're not all from the bus!" He protest. "Okay, most of them are, but some of them are from the train."

"I don't want to date anyone."

"Whatever, bro. It's been two years. Your room is a wreck, and so are you. She'd want you to move on at some time," he says, gently, as though trying not to offend me.

"How do you know," I mumble, "when you barely have any memories of her?"

"Because I have some memories of her."

Peter pulls me out of bed and drops me, expecting me to hold my own weight, but I fall to the floor, limp like a ragdoll.

"I'm gonna go now, but like it or not, I'll be here at eight, and you better be ready by then," he declares, nudging me with his toe. "Alright?"

I moan.

"Alright?!" He asks again, this time louder. I wince.

"Whatever."

He leaves. I'm overcome with relief, lying on the floor of this room, this empty room. 'She'd want you to move on at some time,' I hear repeated in my head. 'I can't... she was my only...' I reply to the voice. I feel hot tears welling in my eyes, and blink them back.

"Nobody's here," I think, "so why hide the years?"

I don't have an answer. Droplets appear on the carpet next to me, slowly rolling from my face at first, then gradually escalating. Tears stream from my face, unrestricted and free, my body wracked with sobs.

Through the bursts of unbearable sorrow, I manage to whisper to the nothingness around me, "You were my only..."

I wake up some time later. It must've been at least a couple of hours, though, because a knock jolts me awake, and when I check the peephole in my front door, I see Peter standing outside with Christina, and a short, blonde girl with green eyes. I sigh and run to the bathroom. Tears have lingered on my scruffy face, my lips chapped and swollen, my eyes red. I manage to flick my hair into a somewhat reasonable position and take a hot rag to my face. Within thirty seconds, the last remnants of my morning are gone.

Peter has been ringing my doorbell obnoxiously that entire time; he may have forgotten most of his past, but he's still as obnoxious as ever.

"Coming!" I yell, half-walking half-running to the door.

I swing open the door, scowling at Peter. He cringes backward, and I look over at the girl he brought. The tenth, no fifteenth one this month. "Sorry, I'm sure you're a great girl but -"

She interrupts me, her voice high and peppy. "It's okay. You're not really my type, either."

I nod, and I'm about to close the door when Peter shoves his foot in front of it. "Hey uhh, can I talk to you for a moment?"

I shrug impartially. "Okay."

He pulls me aside. "Look, I get you don't want to move on yet, but at least start talking to people again. Be social. Y'know?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"At least decorate your apartment. It looks like Abnegations came in and designed it."

I nod. This is what Tris would want. Right?

He nods, as though to assure himself that he had said enough, and walls away with Christina and my would-be-date. I stand there, quietly, solemnly, and suddenly I find myself blinking back tears. I hold them in; I force the heavy door open and slam it shut. I slide down the back of the door, unable to stand any longer, and fall to my knees, tears falling quickly and silently.

Slowly the world grows fuzzier as the tears flow more freely over my cheeks.

I must fall asleep there and start dreaming, because I think I hear Tris for a second. And then the world is different.

When I wake again, I'm in a small cottage. Dawn is breaking over my world, casting light over the quiet darkness. I lay on a plush, soft bed in a warm, cozy room, but most importantly: Tris is in my arms. I hear the covers shift and fold as she sits up and plants a kiss on my cheek, her baggy pajamas hanging from her strong, compact frame, the fabric spilling over her loosely and recklessly. "Good morning, Tobias," she says, pronouncing the name like a secret, that only she and I know.

"Shhhh," I murmur. "Maybe if we don't acknowledge it, it will go away."

She laughs, and I find it somewhere in myself to laugh too. I open my eyes and brush a strand of blonde curls away from her eyes. She leans forward and kisses me, soft and tender, and I kiss her back.

"I love you, Tris," I murmur against her lips.

"I love you, Tobias," she whispers, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "My Tobias."

And then I wake up (for real, this time) to a couple of knocks and buzzes (from the door bell). There's someone at the door. I sigh quietly and stand up. "Be right there," I shout, my voice cracking.

I look in the mirror, this time not bothering with my hair. I frown at myself. Tears litter my cheeks. "Crying in your sleep?" I think. "We've hit a new low."

I walk slowly over to the door, hoping it's not Peter with another one of his random girls. "Peter, if it's you with another one of those girls from the bus or the train or whatever, just leave now."

A voice breaks the momentary silence following my demand, too light to be Peter's and yet too low to be Christina's. "It's not."

My heart flutters for a moment, and I rush to the peephole. Looking down, I see curly blonde hair and a hooked nose.

'It can't be,' I think over and over, repeating it in my mind like a chant as I fumble with the key to the door.

And yet, as I open the door wide open, it is. My hands shake; I can't breathe.

Author's Comments: Oooh, sneaky me, forcing that cliffhanger in at the last moment. What do you think? Please review and watch the story! A new one should be up later today or tomorrow.

Also, what do you think of dual narration?


	2. Words Shared

I decided to try out dual narration, but if you think it's not working or if something sounds odd for the characters, please let me know. Please read and review as always!

* * *

|TRIS|

The crash of the door is louder than anything I've ever heard. He forces it open quickly, so violently I fret that it might fall off of its hinges. I can tell he just woke up. His eyes are red and puffy, his hair sticking out every which way. His shirt is only half-put on, and if I look closely enough I see a glint of water on his cheek. He stares at me, those deep blue eyes broken and sad. They light up a bit as soon as he sees me, and his jaw drops. He stands there, immobile, for what seems like forever.

I swallow, hard, pressing my sweaty palms to my jeans and trying not to look as terrified as I feel.

I remember what I've rehearsed saying for weeks: "Hi, Tobias, I guess you can see I'm alive. I know it seems crazy, but when I got hit with the death serum, I thought I was fighting off dying, but it turns out I was fighting off a simulation. It was the final research of these scientists, and..." I would go on to explain how I was experimented on, blah blah blah, etcetera.

Ever single word of my speech flew out of my mind. And I just stood there, watching him for so long until he whispered as though out of breath, "T-tris?"

I clear my throat, gripping the hen of my black jeans tightly in balled up fists. "Hi," I say. "I'm alive, Tobes."

I hate that I say that. I sound so feeble, so broken, so weak.

He opens the door wider and moves away to let me in. Stepping in, I am shocked at how lifeless and barren it is. My hand brushes his, and I want so badly to hold it, but I know I can't. Not yet.

An explanation is required. He closes the door, and I take in a deep breath, biting my lip.

"How are you alive?" He says, almost screaming, rambling on for a little while.

I release the pent-up breath, like unravelling the knot in my chest.

* * *

|TOBIAS|

She's actually standing there. My heart leaps and drops at the same time. I can't stop staring at her. She looks up at me, her eyes clear and sharp and soft at the same time. My jaw drops, my heart stops, my hands shake on the door knob. The first thing that manages to stumble out of my mouth is, "T-Tris?"

Her curly blonde hair falls on her thin, but strong frame. She started up at me, but her gaze it's not strong, not weak, and definitely not afraid. I can't place what expression she has right now. Probably something close to determination.

I want so badly to scoop her into my arms, to hug her and squeeze her and kiss her, but before I can think of anything else to say, she speaks. "Hi... I'm alive, Tobes."

I still can't believe my eyes. I move back a little, realizing that I've been blocking her path into my apartment this whole time. She steps in, and I'm embarrassed at the state of my apartment. It's barren and empty. The only picture on my dresser is of her, of Tris, from before the war. I feel hot tears rising in my eyes, but I blink them back and cough away the lump in my throat. I see her hands shaking, and she sniffs a bit. I smile sadly. Neither of us are ready to allow ourselves to cry in front of the other.

I wake up from a minor trance I've had on her face for a moment, and then find myself yelling, almost screaming, "How are you alive? You were dead, you were freaking DEAD, Tris! I went zip lining and threw your ashes all over the freaking Dauntless HEADQUARTERS, Tris! How are you alive?" It all falls out of my mouth in a jumble of chaotic feelings. My voice cracks a few times as my words strain against the lump in my throat, which is slowly rising.

She turns around and looks at me, then motions to one of only three pieces of furniture in the living room: the old leather couch. "Maybe it'd be better if you sat down or something," she states, scratching the back of her head nervously. "It's going to be a long story."

I nod and sit on the right side of the couch. She sits on my left; I can feel her eyes digging into my side. I press my hands into my faces, feeling the knot rising and threatening to spill over.

"Well, uhh, after we said goodbye, I went with Caleb, as planned, and then when we got there, I- I held a gun to his head and forced him to let me go in instead. All I could think about was what you said. I couldn't let Caleb sacrifice himself out of guilt." I hear a shudder in her voice as she takes in a shaky breath. "I just... there were so many people I shot..." She takes in another breath, this one steadier. "I went in, and then I thought I was dying. I thought I got shot by David. I thought I saw my mother. I thought I had sacrificed myself for Caleb, but only a few minutes later I wrote up on a hospital bed in some science lab. The death serum didn't cause death - it's not a dearth serum. It was only a simulation. Your mother, even though she didn't want to study me anymore, some of her followers and the guys from outside the fence did. They experimented on me, and it went on for so long, them just trying to figure out how to control me! That's where I was for two years. As for the body - well, they're scientists I guess, so they can make anyone they want seem dead." I hear the smile in her voice as she tries to make a joke. She coughs to break the silence, then continues.

"I, um... I'm gonna get going now. I gotta say hello to David and Christina and Zeke and everybody... but I'll be back tomorrow morning." I hear the leather couch shift as she stands and starts walking away. I force my hands away from my eyes, then fling out my hand and grab her arm.

"Tris," I whimper, "don't go. Please."

She turns around and puts her hand over mine, looking down at my grip on her arm. Her voice shaking, she says, "I'll be back tomorrow."

I let go. She leaves, the door shutting quickly. As soon as it's closed, I fall to my knees, unable to keep the tears at bay any longer. They fall on the carpet one by one, and I feel the sobs attacking my body, shaking me to my core, and I'm left all alone again, silently weeping on the floor, until I fall asleep.

* * *

|TRIS|

While I explained, Tobias was completely silent, his rough hands wrapping around his face, concealing his emotions. A few times, I almost cried, but I had to hold it in. My voice shook, so the entire time I was trying to seem strong, and my dang voice betrayed me. I got up to leave, and I felt electricity running through my veins as he grabbed my arm. That was when I started feeling tears fall on my cheeks. His voice is still ringing in my mind: "Tris... don't go... Please."

I shudder as I close his door, making sure it clicks shut before I slide down and grab my legs. I let the tears fall for a minute, then I stand up and brush them off my face, rubbing my eyes until they don't sting anymore. I pause as I leave, hearing a thud and a whimper, then a sob. Tobias is crying.

I don't believe my ears. I walk away quickly, desperately trying to gather up my courage to talk to Christina and Peter and David. Although, I'd rather not talk to Peter.

I go and sit at the coffee place near by. I sit and think in silence for an hour or two. 2 p.m. rolls around.

And I have nothing to say.

* * *

-Line Break: Time is 5:30 p.m.-

* * *

I walk around aimlessly, my hood pulled over my head. I still have no idea what to say to Christina, or even where to find her. I lucked out with finding Tobias - I saw Peter and Christina and some other girl leaving his room and I came back the next day. But Christina? I have no idea where she could be.

I try the tattoo parlor, the pizza place, and even just wandering around for a while, but she is nowhere to be found.

I pass by some fancy restaurant and I hear it filled with laughter and voices, but two laughs and two choices stand out the most:

Christina and Peter sit at the first table in the restaurant, laughing and joking. Peter stops joking and takes Christina's hand for a moment. I can't tell what he says, but whatever it is, it makes Chris blush. I stop and stare at them, gaping.

Someone bumps into me and I suddenly remember what I was going to do in the first place. I mutter an apology and start walking to their table. Christina giggles, twirling her hair around her finger, and I'm able to catch a few words. "Peter... sweet... blush... misses her.. do too..."

I stop in front of their table. I stare down at Christina, and she looks up. I take off my hood, and her jaw drops. A few tears land on the table cloth. She stands and pulls me into a tight hug, asking no questions. For that, I am grateful, because I still have nothing to say. I hug her back, and without realizing it, I let a few tears slip out, too.


	3. Truth or Dare

_I hug her back, and without realizing it, I let a few tears slip, too._

.·`;;`·.

* * *

**TRIS**

Christina stands there hugging me for a few more minutes, then turns to Peter. "Peter, you had your memory wiped during the war, so I'd like to introduce you to Tris Prior, my best friend... who was dead."

My jaw drops. "You mean he doesn't remember anything about me? _Or what he did to me_?"

Christina shakes her head. "No. I heard that he wanted so badly to start over, that he just kind of... reset himself. He's so much sweeter and kinder and nicer now than he was back then."

I force myself to shake his hand. "Nice to meet the new you, I guess." I narrow my eyes in suspicion, unable to clear my mind of what he did to me.

He's completely oblivious. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm sorry if I ever did anything to you before I reset."

I'm surprised at him, being so apologetic. "Mm," I say, tight-mouthed and stern. I don't forgive him. "So, are you two...?"

"I've been meaning to ask that myself. Well, Peter, are we dating?" Christina inquires, holding her hands behind her back and smiling hopefully.

"Do you want to be?" He mumbles, scratching the back of his head. "I mean I don't want to force you into anything, if you don't want to date me that's fine I mean I totally get it an-"

"I'll think about it," Christina whispers. I can't help but roll my eyes, but at the same time, I'm impressed at his transformation, even if it was because he had his memory wiped... even so, I don't trust him yet. He took the cowards' way out, and I can't respect him for it.

"Christina, hey. We need to talk, come on," I say, snapping her out of her gaze at Peter.

"OH RIGHT! My dead bestie is now alive. Sorry Peter, gotta go!" She shouts as I drag her out of the restaurant.

We're silent for a few moments, then she asks me where I'm going and I drop her. "Oh, right, where's your apartment? I never actually had one."

Christina giggles from the floor. "It's by the Pit. I chose to be a tattoo artist, so it's not all that lofty, but it's nice. Room 32."

I turn around, heading for the Pit. "Um, what's T- err, Four's job?" I ask quietly. "He had a big apartment when I went to see him."

"YOU WENT TO FOUR'S APARTMENT?!" She shrieks, pulling her long, curly hair.

"Yes...?" I don't understand why she's flipping shit.

"O-Omigod, how did it go? He's been so depressed lately and - hey, wait, how are you alive right now?"

"I can't believe that's the _second_ question you'd ask me. Come on, I'll tell you everything once we get to your place."

* * *

**TOBIAS**

I wake up again, stunned to see that it's 5:30 already. I'm lying in a pool of my own tears, and I'm mentally slapping myself for being such a weakling, when suddenly I remember what has just happened. 'Oh, GOD, where's my phone?!' I think, stumbling around my apartment. I snatch it from the coffee table and dial in Zeke's phone number. It rings for a minute, then he picks up.

"Hey buddy, I haven't heard from you in a week. What's up?" I hear Zeke's voice from the phone, and am so relieved that he picked up.

"It's Tris... I think she's alive. And no, I'm not drunk."

"WHAT THE HECK?! You call me over the phone to say this? I'm coming to your apartment. Be right there." He hangs up before I can protest.

It's only been five minutes and Zeke is already hammering my door. When I open it, he doesn't even bother saying hello. "WHAT THE FRICK HAPPENED?!" He screams, throwing a pack of beers on the couch. "I NEED EVERY FRICKING DETAIL. RIGHT NOW."

I'm surprised at the furor he has, but I simply shake my head and go with it. "Peter came over the night before and he brought Chris and some random chick. But I don't go, so I stay home and..."

"Cry yourself to sleep?" He finishes.

I give him a look of shock. "No way bro," I lie, shaking my head. I can tell he knows I'm lying, but I just continue. "So I go to bed, and I wake up to a knock on my door. I think it's Peter for a second, but then I hear her voice and I open the door and she's there, Zeke, she's right fricking there!" I feel tears welling in my eyes as I pace back and forth, Zeke having taken the couch. I swallow, hard, and hide my head in my hands, the force of the tears too much to control. Zeke doesn't comment on this, for which I'm grateful.

"What did she say, what did you say to her?" He asks quietly.

I force my hands off my face, the crying having subsided. My voice wavers and shakes as I tell him what she told me. His eyes widen slowly, bulging out of his head. "And I didn't say anything until she got up to leave... I asked her not to go... she told me she was going to see Chris, she'd be back tomorrow, but shit man, I screwed up. I was acting so pitiful bro, I just... she looked just like from my dreams. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, so bad, I just felt so fricking distant from her, I wish I didn't act so stupid!"

Zeke sits back on his hands and opens a beer can. "You know what we have to do, right?" He asks with a chuckle. I don't say a word, just raise my eyebrows. "Truth or Dare hooked up initiates 4 or so years ago, Truth or Dare will hook you two up now," he says with a mischievous grin.

I sigh, flopping onto the adding armrest with my hands in my hair. "You... you're joking, right?"

* * *

**TRIS**

Christina brings some hot chocolate in from the kitchen and hands me a cup. I've just explained to her about the experiments, and I started breaking down when she asked about how Four reacted. She simply hugged me and left the room, which I assume she left to make the hot chocolate that she gives me now. I take the ceramic cup with two hands and hold it, wrapping my fingers around it. I bite my lip to keep it from quivering, trying not to cry. I take a sip and then a deep breath. "When I got there, I guess he thinks that Peter was coming to set him up with someone, so at first he didn't even walk to the door. But then I just say that it's not, and I could hear him stumbling over to the door. He slammed it, so looking back I guess he was looking through the peephole. When he opened three door, I thought it was going to fly off its hinges." I take another sip, then continue. "He just kind of stared at me for a while, then whispered my name and let me come in."

I look up and Christina is literally on the edge of her seat, leaned up close to me on a plush armchair. I shift my position a bit, and she waves her hand at me, chirping excitedly, "Go on."

"Uh, okay then. He was totally silent while I told him. Almost awkward. I really wanted to hug him, kiss him, I wanted everything to be perfect, but he had his head buried in his hands. Eventually the story was over, and I got up to leave, and he grabbed my arm and asked me not to go." I shudder as I hear the words relaying in my head. _Tris, don't go. Please. _He was so broken, so sad. Suddenly I feel guilty about leaving him there. "I was really excited that we finally touched, but I was about to cry, and besides, I had to come see you. I don't know, maybe I should've stayed. When I finally stopped crying outside the door, I heard him crying. It broke my heart that he was so sad... and then I came and saw you."

I look back up. The heat from the hot cocoa is gone, and Christina is texting someone. "Who're you talking to?" I murmur, half hoping it's Tobias.

"Zeke."

"What? Why?" I ask, taken aback.

"I'm seeing if he wants to play a game of Truth or Dare with you guys tonight."

"What's Truth or Dare?" I inquire, tilting my head. Her jaw drops. "Oh, wait, Candor or Dauntless? That game we played while we were initiates? Okay I still remember close to nothing about it..."

She shuts her mouth. "Whatever," she states, "I'll explain it while we go shopping for some clothes for you ~ !"

I groan, clutching my chest and pretending to die. She laughs and drags me out of the apartment.

* * *

**TOBIAS**

"Good news, Four. Christina says Tris is in," Zeke says, tossing his phone onto the counter.

I smile. Maybe this will work. Zeke looks up at me and then sighs. "Dude. If we're gonna do this you gotta look like you from two years ago. And act like him, too."

"What the frick does that mean?"

"It means shaving and acting happy. Wear clean clothes. Smile. Be happy. Flirt with Tris. All that shit."

I raise my eyebrows and sigh, then head to the bathroom and wet my face, spray on the shaving cream, and start shaving. Then I hear Zeke laughing from the other room. "And don't forget to shower, bro! No offense, but you smell like SHIT!"

I laugh too, already feeling better. She's back, and I start thinking, maybe this will work.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Yes, yes, Truth or Dare is so original, but I feel like that would be what they'd think of first, okay?


	4. Melt, Or Freeze, Or Catch Fire

_.·`;;`·._

_I laugh, too, already feeling better. She's back, and I start thinking, maybe this will work._

.·`;;`·.

* * *

**TRIS**

It's been a while since I've been shopping with Christina, or even just been _around_ Christina, and for once in my life I actually enjoyed myself. She picked me out some black lace tights; big, clunky combat boots (which was her 12th choice – all the other ones were high heels); a form-fitting (but nothing _too_ showy) crop-top, and she forced me to get new undergarments. The ones I had before I went out with her were modest and simple, but since she let me get combat boots, she forced me to buy something prettier – lace, actually, so I didn't mind.

I somehow managed to talk my way out of three skirts and buy ten new pairs of black jeans. I think she actually won, however, because I distinctly remember some promise about makeup. I guess we'll see what the promise was exactly later, at 8, when we go to Zeke's. Just thinking of Tobias, of the possibility of us getting back together, is making my heart flutter with excitement.

We walk back to Christina's apartment, five full bags of new clothes weighing down my one arm like a ton of bricks. A thought races through my mind, and suddenly I stop short. Christina looks back at me, confused. "Uh, hey, Chris…" I start. "Where am I supposed to sleep tonight, after Truth or Dare? I mean, when I was 'killed,' I didn't actually have an apartment or a job yet. So..?"

Christina pouts, putting her finger on her chin. "Welllll, I suppose if Four doesn't have you sleep at his place," she says with a mischievous wink and a nudge, "you could always take the couch in my place. It's pretty comfy, once you get a few blankets on it."

I smile at her, grateful to finally be back with friends. "Thanks, Chrissy."

She looks back at me with a small smile, and then loops her arm with my free one. "Well, that's what friends are for, right?"

I nod, and suddenly Christina bounces into a skip and for a while I just speed-walk next to her, but she just seems so giddy. Her excitement rubs off on me, and soon I find myself clumsily skipping next to her, laughing harder than I have in a while. Two years, actually.

* * *

**TOBIAS**

I step out of the shower and look in the mirror with a sigh. My minor beard has been shaved off, leaving a smooth chin and face, and my long-ish hair sticks to my face. I wrap myself in a towel and step out of the bathroom, steam curling out of the bathroom like long, stretching fingers. Zeke left about a half an hour ago, to go ready the apartment for Truth or Dare, and left me to get ready. Already I'm feeling better, happier, and fresher. As if the shower cleansed me of all my grief.

Tris clouds my thoughts as I dry off and slip on some clothes. I was so stupid to let myself be so quiet, feeble, and distant around her. I can't get her off my mind – her flowing locks of golden hair, her baggy clothes and short, strong body, her gray eyes that I want to wake up every morning and see.

My phone buzzes on the counter, and I pounce on it like a cat on a mouse. It's Zeke. "Hey, bro, what's up?"

"Four, there's been a change of plans. Tris is ready already and Christina called me to let me know that she's coming early. Also, I found a few more people to come and play, so it won't be so quiet."

"Wait, so, Truth or Dare _now?_" I ask, intending to clarify what I just heard.

"Yea. Meet me at my apartment in five minutes, or we're starting without you."

I hang up quickly without saying good-bye, and then scramble around looking for a shirt. I don't want to be late, not with Tris there.

* * *

**TRIS**

"Christina, do I have to wear this?" I whine, gesturing to the tight, ripped black skinny jeans that she forced on me and the black camisole that she somehow got me to wear.

"Uh, no," she says, reaching into her closet. Before I can even react, she's slipping me into a leather jacket. "You have to wear _that._"

"Oh, ha-ha-ha," I say, sarcasm dripping off my voice and my hands on my hips. "You still haven't told me how to play Truth or Dare. I remember that we played it when we were initiates, but other than that, I don't remember anything about it."

"Doesn't matter," she says, applying eyeliner to her left eye, and then slowly moving on to her right. "Zeke'll probably explain it when we get there. He added a few rules to the game, and he didn't even tell _me_ what they were, so. He'll explain it, don't worry."

I pout, and suddenly Christina grabs me and pulls me out the door. "Time to go!" she shouts, giggling.

"What? Now? I thought we were going later!" I protest, trying to break free of her grip.

"Yes, now! We're both ready, so why not head over early? Besides, I've already texted Zeke to let him know that we're on our way. There's no getting out of this one, Prior!" She yells, fake-cackling like a cliché villain.

I play along, trying to fake-cry and sound fearful, but I give up and break into a reluctant laugh. Christina follows her laugh heartfelt and carefree. We soon arrive at Zeke's apartment, and I can't help but smile. This is going to be a fun night: I can feel it.

* * *

**TOBIAS**

I'm sprinting down the hall at light speed, my hair still dripping wet from the shower I took only three minutes ago. I force myself to go faster, not wanting to be late, and finally I see Zeke's apartment on the right, and I skid to a stop, then slip and fall on my butt. I quickly scramble up, anxious to start. I knock on the door, and Zeke opens it with shock on his face. "Whoa, bro, when I said that we'd start without you I didn't realize you were just out of the shower. You seriously took half an hour to do that?"

I shrug. "Like you said, I smelled like **shit**."

Zeke laughs and gestures for me to come in, and I do. I'm happy to see my old friends – Peter, Lauren, Tori, and even Max – have made it, and surprised to see that Peter even showed up. Usually, he hates Truth or Dare. I assume with a smirk that he only came because Christina came. They've been acting all mushy with each other – I wouldn't be surprised if they got together.

Six 16 year-olds who I assume are initiates are also here. There's one tall, lanky girl with brown hair pulled into a side braid and round, kind eyes; a shorter, but still relatively tall girl with red hair pulled into a modest bun with sharp, intellectual green eyes; then there's the smallest one, with short, straight black hair and severe blue eyes. I look across at the boys who're talking to them. They're all pretty tall for their age; one with spiky brown hair and excited eyes waves his arms around, getting really into whatever story he's telling the tallest girl; one with a buzz-cut and five piercings in his eyebrow has a tattoo creeping up his neck, and I can tell that he's trying really hard to look indifferent about the shortest girl, who he's talking to. The last kid is thin, with curly hair and a long nose, and whatever he's talking about, he's being really secretive about it, whispering to the intellectual-looking girl and glancing around from time to time. For a moment I wonder who invited them, but then I remember that Peter became an instructor, and so did Christina, so I guess I really shouldn't be all that surprised.

Max looks over and realizes I'm here, so he waves and jogs up to me. "Obviously I'm not staying for Truth or Dare, Four, but I wanted to say hello, and Christina told me that this'd be the place to find you. Good to see you in high spirits."

I grin at him, unable to contain my happiness. "Yeah, I didn't expect you to. Expect me back at work on Friday," I tell him, sticking my hands in my pockets.

He smiles and pats me on my back. "See you on Friday, then." He leaves.

I hear the door creak open, and then I turn around to see Tris, looking more beautiful than ever. I catch myself staring, and I look away, but it seems almost impossible to. It's almost like she specifically wore that to get me to stare. My eyes slowly drift back to her. She catches my gaze and winks at me, trying to make me smile, and it works. I flash a small smile, and I'm about to go and talk to her when Zeke stands up on the table in the middle of the room.

"AIGHT EVERYBODY, GET IN A CIRCLE AROUND THE TABLE! TRUTH OR DARE SHALL NOW BEGIN!" he yells, trying to sound ominous. I smirk excitedly, and then jog to a place in the circle, between Tris and Peter.

* * *

**TRIS**

When I walk in, I catch Tobias staring at me and I can't help but wink at him. I can feel myself flush; even though it's been two years since we last really talked, Tobias still makes my heart race. He makes me want to melt. Or freeze. Or catch fire. Or maybe all three.

I wave to Zeke, Lauren, and I hug Tori as she leaves. My eyes widen as he starts towards me, and my heart flutters. But before he can even come close to talking to me, Zeke speaks up. Dang him and his inopportune start to the game.

Christina drags me and plops me down over by Tobias, and I find myself blushing. Christina winks at me from behind Tobias and then sits next to Peter, their hands brushing but not quite together.

Zeke starts explaining the rules. "A lot of you probably know Truth or Dare as Candor and Dauntless. However, it's not necessarily the same game anymore."

"What do you mean?" pipes up a tall, brown-haired girl from the other side of the room.

"I mean, that like normal, you have to ask someone 'Candor or Dauntless,' and they have to choose, and then you have to dare them to do something/ask them something. But, if you refuse to do the dare/answer the question, you have to lick the wall," he says, pointing over to the bathroom wall.

The girl grimaces and sticks out her tongue. "Ew, why does it have to be so gross?"

"Would you rather you have to take off an article of clothing if you don't do it, instead?" Zeke asks her with a smirk carving up his mouth.

"Yea, actually, I would," the girl states, crossing her arms.

Shock replaces the smugness on Zeke's face. "Oh, okay then, that's the rule. You have to take off an article of clothing if you refuse to do the dare or answer the question, shoes and socks not counting. Sound fair?" Nobody objects.

"Are we gonna start this thing or not, Zeke?" I hear Tobias' thundering voice call out.

"Yea," Zeke says bluntly. "Since this is my apartment, I get to go first. Four, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Tobias says, a determined look on his face.

"Alright," he says. "I dare you to do Seven Minutes in Heaven with Tris."

My heart flies, then drops, then melts and catches fire and freezes and I feel myself flush bright red.

Four raises an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to give me a _hard_ dare, Zeke!"

I smile shyly, but I'm happy that he's acting more like he did before, well, before I died.

Before I can say anything to him, he takes my hand and leads me into the closet. Christina winks at me, and I blush uncontrollably as she mouths the words, "I set that up for you! YOU'RE WELCOME!"

He shuts the closet door, and I'm melting again; he looks at me, and I'm frozen again; I gaze into his deep blue eyes, and I get lost, and I feel myself catch fire.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**1: ** THIS CHAPTER WAS SO FUN TO MAKE ASDGHFT

**2: **Tris/Tobias weren't technically hooked up yet in the chapter before. They're kind of awkward right now, so expect some serious Four/Tris fluff with Tobias apologizing for being so distant.

And maybe a kiss. C;

**3: **I'll be writing another TOD fanfiction from during the initiation, before Four and Tris were together.


	5. So This Is Heaven

**A/N: **Hey, I'm sorry this took so long to post, but I ended up forgetting to save this ten times over and then my tablet went dead and OH MY GOSH THIS TOOK SO LONG but whatever. I think it came out awesome, in the end.

I added some super fluff in here. So...prepare for adorable things as a reward for your patience and understanding. /

* * *

_.·`;;`·._

_He shuts the closet door, and I'm melting again; he looks at me, and I'm frozen again; I gaze into his deep blue eyes, and I get lost, and I feel myself catch fire._

_.·`;;`·._

* * *

**TRIS**

I'm still on fire when he sits down in the closet, motioning for me to sit next to him. I see beads of sweat gather on his brow, and I'm confused for a moment, but then I remember his claustrophobia. I try not to look as scared as I feel as I sit down next to him and take his hand, my palm sweating and my heart racing. He grins nervously at me, and is about to say something when Zeke starts shouting from the circle about the rules.

"Okaaay, lovebirds," he calls out, and I hear a snicker or two coming from them as he pauses. "You have Seven Minutes in Heaven, and we're restricting you to three minutes of talking. After that...well, you know what to do." I can almost see the smirk and wink on his face as he says this. I can tell I'm blushing furiously by the time he's done talking, but I hope Tobias doesn't see it.

'Then again,' I think as he gazes at me with a goofy grin curling his lips, 'I can see his face, so it'd make sense that he could see my face…'

I let go of his hand quickly, putting my knees up in front of my face and holding them with my arms. He seems a little hurt, but I'm too embarrassed to say anything to him. Tobias watches at me for a few more seconds, his eyes searching but not pushing. His beautiful, beautiful blue eyes… I feel as though I could swim in them, just swim away from all of my problems. Then I catch myself staring, too, and I look back down at my feet, studying the laces of the combat boots I wear.

I close my eyes, and within a few seconds I hear Tobias shifting, but I ignore it. What I _can't_ ignore, though, is the feeling of being lifted up! Tobias has shifted us around so that I'm on his lap, his legs stretched straight out towards the closet door. He holds me close, wrapping his arms around me tentatively, as if he's afraid he might break me. I force my hands off of my jeans, wiping them inconspicuously before I place them over his hands. I ease my legs out in front of me, and then I force a shaky breath out of my body. I open my eyes again, and he rests his chin on my head. I smile a bit, and then I whisper in a hushed voice, as though telling a secret, "You know what I've missed most about you?"

"What?" He murmurs, taking his chin off my head and placing it by my ear. I can feel his lips tickle it as he speaks.

"Probably your voice...and your eyes..." He doesn't say anything, so I continue, saying this even quieter than before. "When I was being experimented on, and they'd put the serum into me through my neck, I'd actually smile. Because the first thing I thought about was you and I going through your fears together, and then I remembered your eyes, your voice, telling me to be brave before you sent me through my own fear simulation. I actually imagined you standing over me while I was on that table, and your eyes, and your voice, and... wow, I'm really rambling on, huh?"

Tobias laughs in my ear, and it's a thundering laugh, a laugh that makes me want to laugh, too. "I like it when you ramble...and either way, I missed the same things about you. Your eyes, your voice, the feeling that you give off in a room when you enter; it just sparks so many feelings in me. The first one being love, and the second being admiration, and the third being courage. You make me brave, Tris. I used to dream about you. I'd dream about what would've happened without the war; about our kids, our house, waking up in the morning with you in my arms. And then...I'd wake up, and I'd realize that you're not there, and I'd act like a jerk to everyone else and just want to go back to sleep again, and feel your warmth in my arms."

"That could still happen, you know," I whisper after a slight pause. "I'm alive, I'm back. We could be together again."

It's probably been about a minute before Tobias simply whispers in my ear, "I'd like that."

And now I'm melting here, in the darkness, in his arms, again.

* * *

**TOBIAS**

I hold Tris in my arms in this closet. My heartbeat is slowing down, as it was racing when we first came in here. It wasn't just because of my claustrophobia, though. I was actually, you know, anxious that we might just end up fighting. But now, with Tris in my arms, with silence slowly lulling my fears away, I feel fine – happy, even. I glance down at her, and I'm about to ask how long she thinks we've been in here for when Christina starts shouting from outside.

"OKAY GUYS STOP TALKING, IT'S BEEN THREE MINUTES AND YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE OU-er... So, um, yeah, no more talking~!" She says in a sing-song voice, and then I hear her squeal.

I feel a gaze burning into me, so I look down, and I see a feverishly blushing Tris staring me right in the eyes. "I've missed you, you know that, right?" she murmurs, her hands travelling up from my hands to my neck.

I smile softly and then lean down and give her a quick peck on the lips. She pulls me back down, holding me firmly pressed to her lips for a good thirty seconds, before she releases. I just gaze down at her, and she seems flustered all the sudden, as if embarrassed for doing what she did. I brush a curl out of her face, and then an idea pops into my head. "Remember, in initiation, when I did this?" I murmur, wrapping my hands around her stomach. "Never forget to keep tension here," I whisper, lowering my voice.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that," she purrs, placing her hands on mine. I see her lips curl upward, and I grin too, but the life of her smile is short.

"What's wrong?" I inquire, squeezing her with one of my hands, the other reaching for one of her hands and rubbing it in a smooth, circular motion.

"Remember, during the war, when we said 'see you later' instead of 'good-bye?'" She seems to choke on these words, and I can see tears fall onto her jeans. Shock rings through me, and my eyes widen. Tris shifts her position, wrapping her legs around my waist and swiftly wrapping her arms around my neck, shoving her face into my chest. Her tears wet my shirt a little bit, but I don't protest. I squeeze her tighter to me, and I can feel her gasp for air from the crying. "Why didn't we say goodbye? What if one of us _actually_ died and we didn't say goodbye?"

I pause for a moment, and then rest my head on her shoulder, enjoying the warmth from her body, and start singing.

* * *

**TRIS**

I feel so weak, so stupid – hysterical, even. I'm sobbing into Tobias' shirt, soaking it and wrinkling it as I go. But he doesn't even move, other than to put his head on my shoulder. I think I might be hyperventilating for a moment, but then I realize its Tobias vibrating, not me. He's singing to me. Right then, I realize I haven't heard him sing in, like, forever, and I love hearing his deep, smooth voice again. I've missed his voice so much.

"_It started out as a feeling,_

_Which then grew into a hope._

_Which then turned into a quiet thought,_

_Which then turned into a quiet word._

_And then that word grew louder and louder,_

'_Til it was a battle cry:_

_I'll come back, when you call me._

_No need to say good-bye._

_Just because everything's changing,_

_Doesn't mean it's never been this way before._

_All you can do is try to know who your friends are_

_As you head off to war._

_Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light._

_You'll come back, when it's over._

_No need to say good-bye._

_You'll come back, when it's over._

_No need to say good-bye._

_Now we're back to the beginning,_

_It's just a feeling and no one knows yet._

_But just because they can't feel it too,_

_Doesn't mean that you have to forget._

_Let your memories grow stronger and stronger,_

'_Til they're before your eyes._

_You'll come back, when they call you._

_No need to say good-bye._

_You'll come back, when they call you."_

I join in on the last few lines, catching on at the last moment. My voice is shaky and hoarse and it cracks, but Tobias doesn't seem to mind. I think I might even hear a smile in his voice when we sing at exactly the same time,

"_No need to say good-bye."_

We sit there in the silence, cradling each other without a sound. I guess I've missed this, too. Just then, Zeke busts in on us and calls back to Christina, "Dude, times u-OH MY GOD I TOTALLY CALLED IT! THEY'RE NOT MAKING OUT! YOU OWE ME FIFTY FRICKIN' BUCKS!" I hear Christina groan and screech from the other room, and Zeke just starts hopping away in a furious display of glee.

I giggle, leaning back and wiping the tears off my face. I breathe for a minute, and I can feel myself cooling down already, and then look up at Tobias. "Hey, Four," I question quietly, leaning back on my hands. "Does it look like I've been crying?"

He looks me over for a second, his expression unreadable. "No, Tris," he decides. "You look tough as nails."

I give him a small smile, stand up, and we walk out of the closet without another word.

It's only been about half an hour since Tobias and I came out of the closet, and everybody's stripped to their undergarments except for me. Christina refused to make out with Peter in front of everybody (who seemed jokingly disappointed), go stripping in the middle of the Pit, and go ask out Eric; Peter got slammed over and over with weirdly embarrassing dares (like singing the Telitubbies Theme Song out in the Pit, courtesy of Zeke), all of which he refused; everyone kept prodding Tobias for answers on 1) what we were doing in the closet and 2) what his real name is; Zeke refused to kiss his crush (which makes no sense, we all know he loves Shauna, including Shauna), propose to Eric (what's with my friends and making fake relationships with Eric?), and drink out of a public toilet bowl. I'm the only one who's still fully clothed and thoroughly embarrassed, having told everyone what the most embarrassing moment of my life was (when a random kid pants-ed me while I was still an initiate, in the middle of the Pit – everybody was hysterical and wondering how they didn't know about it), licked a wall, sung a love song for the first person I saw in the hall way, and kissed with Tobias.

…

Three times.

Christina calls on me, a grimace on her face. "TRIS," she shouts. Everybody's been picking on me to do random shit because I'm the only one with nothing off, but so far nobody's asked me about the closet.

"Dare," I say defiantly, leaning forward to her and smirking cockily. She narrows her eyes, and then a devilish grin spreads across her face. My eyes widen. I know what's coming. "No," I plead with my smug look being replaced with the face of horror. "NO DON'T YOU DARE!"

"_I dare you to tell me what happened in the closet,_" she says, not moving her mouth at all.

I groan and throw my jacket at her face, the knowledge of the one thing I _won't_ do now plain for everybody to see.

"ZEKE," I grumble, my eyebrows furrowed. His eyes widen, and he can tell now I'm pissed that he's going to be in for something dreadful either way.

"Truth."

"_Who's your crush?_"

Zeke looks appalled. From across the room, I see Tobias put his head in his hands, groaning, "Bro, everybody knows who you like, even Shauna knows, you've had a thing for years why don't you two just DATE already!" Shauna blushes fiercely, scrunching up her shoulders.

"Well, there was a chance that I was gonna say it, but now that I know that everybody knows, maybe it's a stupid quest-" he starts, but I interrupt him.

"You're dancing around the real question, Zeke, I said it to you. _You_ have to answer, at some point."

After a tiny wait, Zeke gives in. "Shaunaaaaaaaaa," he sighs, flopping onto his back. Shauna smiles and hugs him. He blushes and then glares at me. "Tris."

"Of course, why would it be anybody else?" I moan, throwing my hands in the air out of mock frustration. I honestly have a smirk curling up my lips. I can't wait to tell them. "Dare."

"I dare you to tell us what went on in that closet," he says with smugness dripping off of his words, thick like slime. I take off my combat boots, socks, and jeans, and toss them behind me. I'm left with just my halter top, bra, and undies.

"Christina," I call out.

"Dare."

"I dare you to sit on Peter's lap for the rest of today and tomorrow's game," I say, sitting back on my hands and smirking. Silently, she walks over to Peter and sits on his lap; Christina tries to act dignified, as though she's not sitting on her boyfriend's lap, but they're both blushing enough to look like cherries.

"Tris."

"Truth."

"What happened in the closet?"

I pull my halter top off and toss it with the rest of my clothes, revealing the matching set of black lace undergarments that Christina made me wear. I can feel my cheeks growing redder by the second.

"Peter," I mutter.

"Dare," he says, straightening his back and stiffening up.

"I dare you to..." I pause, nothing coming to mind. "T-er, Four, what should I dare him to do?"

Tobias is leaned back, his eyes closed, serene. He doesn't even hesitate. "Walk around the Pit for an hour wearing nothing but a pair of undergarments from Christina's room."

Peter groans and flops to the floor. "Kill me. Kill me right now."

"Are you gonna join in on the bandwagon with getting me to tell you guys about the closet thing, or what?"

"Oh, yeah, right. Tris," he says, seeming as though he had legitimately forgotten about the game.

"Oh, to heck with it. Truth," I give up on trying to see if I can sneak my way out of this. They'll just dare me to tell them, anyway.

"What did you and Four do in the closet?" Peter doesn't even sit up to ask me, so Christina leans in and wiggles her eyebrows.

"I want to know the detAAAAILS!" Christina squeals, an evil expression spreading over her face.

I take a deep breath, hold it in for a moment, close my eyes, and then just let it all come out in one fast sentence: "Okay so when we first went in there I could tell Four was nervous so I went and held his hand and he was going to say something but then Zeke started talking about the rules and I was really embarrassed and then Four picked me up and put me on his lap and we just kind of talked about what we'd been missing about each other for the past two years and then you guys told us to shut up but we didn't shut up we kept talking and Four and I kissed and started to kind of reference things that we said before we left each other during the war but then I started crying so Four asked me what was up and I was freaking out because before we left each other during the war we said 'see you later, okay?' but we never actually said good-bye or 'I love you' and I was freaking out because what if one of us was actually dead and neither of us actually said good-bye and then we started singing 'the Call' and we just sat there in silence and then Zeke came in and you know the rest." Everybody's staring at me and I just blush and put my head between my knees, flustered.

"Jeez, Tris, how did you say that all from one breath?" Tobias asks jokingly, trying to lighten the mood, and it works. I laugh and pick my head up, sitting cross-legged.

* * *

** TOBIAS**

I was a little bit surprised when they started asking Tris about the closet, but I not really. I knew they'd start prodding her about it, too. But what _really_ shocked me was that she wouldn't tell. They asked her three times, and that same dare over and over again was what got her. What shocked me even more? That she managed to tell the entire story from one breath, in one run-on sentence.

That was pretty impressive. "Jeez, Tris, how did you say that all from one breath?" I tease, a smirk crawling up my face.

Now that everyone's sure that we're back together, everyone starts picking clothes up off from the floor and heading back to their rooms. Peter actually has to carry Christina back to her apartment, because she ended up getting drunk on a drinking-contest-dare between Tris and her, and she can't even stand anymore; she's too giggly. But she's not as bad as Tris, at least not in my opinion. Tris is completely passed out on the couch, so I have to carry her back as well. When I pick her up, I see her head Bob to the side, her chest lifting and falling steadily. She's limp as a rag doll.

When we finally get back to my apartment, I lay her gently on my bed and cuddle in beside her, wrapping my arms around her. Before I fall asleep, I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her closer to me, and I realize that she must be awake now, because I can swear that I see the corners of her mouth lift in a content smile.

Just in case, I whisper into her ear, "I love you, Tris."

I think I hear her say the same, and I press her hand to mine softly. As I fall asleep with her in my arms, I can't help but think,_ 'So this is what heaven feels like._'

* * *

**A/N:** **Song is "The Call" by Regina Spektor. I felt that it perfectly resembles what happened to Four and Tris, so I couldn't help but use it. Again, I apologize for the wait, but on the bright side, this is over 3,000 words without the notes! :'D**

**UPD: Someone pointed out that I dared Chris to sit on Will's lap and will is dead, so I got all super-edit-woman-y and now Will's name was changed to Peter. I thought I fixed that before I posted, guess not! XD**


	6. Just What I Need

"_As I fall asleep with her in my arms, I can't help but think, 'So this is what heaven feels like.'"_

* * *

**TOBIAS**

I awake slowly, blearily, my eyes crusted over from such deep sleep. The light of the room literally blinds me for a few seconds, leaving a white light replacing everything else in the world. I sigh, thinking about how wonderful last night was. Just simple, silent sleep, with my beautiful, amazing girlfriend, that's all that happened, and yet, I feel like my life has been changed. No, that doesn't even begin to cover it.

It feels like I've been woken up, shaken awake by a stubborn, but caring force. A force named Tris.

She is asleep right next to me, her long, long hair falling down between us. Her sides rise and fall as she slumbers, and I curl my arms around her. I still can't believe I can hug her. I can hold her close to me, I can kiss her, I can talk to her; I can fall asleep knowing that, and I will wake up knowing she will still be here. Here, with me. I smile softly as I begin petting her hair, my chin resting above her head on the pillow. She groans loudly, and I chuckle, knowing the feeling. "Good morning, Tris," I murmur.

"Sshh, sshh…" she hushes me, rolling over and snuggling into my chest. "Maybe if we just ignore it, it'll go away."

I laugh. "No, no, Tris, we actually do have to get up. I have work, and you're going to see Tori about getting a job at the tattoo parlor."

Tris pouts jokingly and kisses my cheek, then stands and runs to the bathroom to get ready. I hear retching sounds coming from the bathroom, and I just shout to her, "Advil is in the cupboard. It tastes nasty, though, so just wait to brush your teeth until you take it." I stand and pull some work clothes on – my business attire, just a suit – and then make my way to the bathroom, both of us brushing our teeth in comfortable silence. I begin washing my face, ridding my eyes of the remaining sleep, and then see that it's almost seven. _I can't be late to my first day of work back,_ I think, rushing to get my tie straight on my neck.

Tris reaches around me and pulls the tie into place, smiling in my ear as she stands on a stool. I simply stare at her for a moment, wondering how she did that, and she laughs. "My dad always sucked at getting ties on, too, so my…" Tris trails off from her reminiscing, her face falling quickly. She looks down, and I hear a sniffle. I feel a tear wet my shirt, and she releases her arms from around me and wipes her face, refusing to look up. Drops fall onto her bare feet as she cries silently.

"Hey, hey, Tris," I murmur, tilting her chin up. She stares up at me still, even from the stool, and I can see the trail that the tears left on her skin. "You don't need to act strong around me," I whisper, my face shifting quickly into a concerned, worried look. She stands there, looking up at me for a little while longer, and then her lower lip begins shaking, and finally her entire body is wracked with sobs. Tris hugs me closer to her, gripping the back of my shirt.

"I-I almost forgot them, when I was at the experiment," she forces out through jolts of tears. "I… I forgot they were dead, Tobias. I forgot they died for me… I…" I glance at the clock behind her. It flashes 6:50, but I honestly don't care. I squeeze her tighter to my chest. "I forgot that I have no family left… j-just Caleb… I haven't even gone to see him, I…" She takes in a breath, then lets it out, and it shakes her. "I freaking forgot my family, Tobias, and they're d-dead…"

I gaze at her and kiss her forehead. "I think you forgot something," I murmur as I trail my lips to her cheek, then her other cheek, then her chin and finally her lips. "I told you, before you left, that I'll be your family… I'm still your family now. I still love you."

Tris' sobs subside gradually, and it's 6:55. "I love you too…" She looks back behind her, and then hugs me. "You have to go now. You can't be late, now that you're coming back again," she whispers into my ear. I set her down gently onto the couch.

"I'll be back at around one o'clock… until then, go to the tattoo parlor, okay? I think you'd like it there," I say, grabbing my jacket and kissing her forehead. I open the door and stop, my hand still on the handle, my foot halfway through the door. I can feel her confused stare digging into the back of my head, and slowly, ever so slowly, I drag myself out of the door and shut it quietly. I sigh, sliding down the door, and then realize that it's 6:58. I break out into a sprint towards my workplace, determined to get there before 7. My arms pumping, my feet slapping, my legs burning, I push myself to stride further, move faster.

* * *

**TRIS**

As he leaves, I feel a burning desire to go after him, but I decide better on it. I slip on a red tank top, a black blazer and some dark skinny jeans, and then shove my feet into some combat boots. I only bother to put on some eyeliner and a touch of eye shadow, not wanting to take much time on my face today. I actually end up putting on a lot more makeup, but it's all very subtle. I just want to get that pale, I-got-drunk-yesterday look off of my face. I briskly walk out the door and head towards the Tattoo Parlor, wondering what has changed in the last two years since I have gone. My thoughts turn slowly to my fear landscape, imagining what has shifted, and I get lost in thought as I drift carelessly, aimlessly around Dauntless, my pace slowing gradually until somehow I find myself at the Chasm. I stare down at the crashing waters, chilled by the memories that are still clinging to these very bars, these very walls, this entire place. I can still hear Al's scream as he falls, I can still feel Tobias carrying me away. I still feel the burn in my throat from my own screams when I was kidnapped. I look down at my hands and realize that the knuckles have turned white from how tightly I'm gripping the rail. I shakily release my hands, the pattern of the rail imprinted in my palms.

I want desperately to leave this place, this marker of a dark time in my life, this marker of true love and true pain, and yet, I find myself unable to move for a long time. I spend what feels like at least an hour, staring at the foam at the end of the waterfall, thinking of what Al must have felt as he fell down to what he knew as his doom. Pondering what real death must be like. Silent tears fall down and mix with the roaring rapids below me, and a sad smile pulls on my lips.

I am thrown out of my sea of directionless thought by a hand on my shoulder. I turn around, not sure who to expect, and am met with a smiling Christina. She hugs me tightly and out of nowhere, squealing excitedly in my ear. I'm shocked, but not that she's hugging me – by how loudly she's shrieking in my ear! I think it may burst as she yells, "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSSSHHHH!"

I push her away from me, rubbing my ear. "Ah, hey, Chris, what's up? You almost gave me a heart attack there."

"Oh, sorry about that… but, on the bright side of today… Peter… asked me out," she slowly states, then goes back to squealing.

I can't help but allow a smile to crawl up my face; it reaches my eyes and I find myself laughing. "Wow, that's really great, Chris! He must've changed a heck of a lot for you to say yes."

Chris nods animatedly, and then proceeds to explain how sweet and kind and caring and amazingly tentative and cautious he is. That he always asks permission before he goes to do anything, that he's the sweetest, most amazing guy EVER! I just stand there, smiling as genuinely as I can muster as she goes on to describe, in extravagant detail, every moment of their first date. I am happy for her, of course; I haven't seen her eyes light up so much, and I haven't seen her laugh so much or smile so much when talking about a man since Will was… since he died a few years ago. My heart falls in my chest, remembering the look in his eyes when it happened. I push down the memory. I cannot cry now. Slowly, my smile fades off of my face as I begin growing bored to know about _every single shade_ of his eyes. The detail she includes as she describes their first kiss is excruciating, however vivid.

I'm saved when Tori sees me dying next to the chasm from her Tattoo Parlor. It feels like I have been hearing about Peter for hours, and I normally didn't enjoy talking about him for a few minutes, let alone… however long Chris kept me there. Tori rushes out of the Tattoo Parlor, and grabs my arm, throwing me a wink that tells me to play along. "Oh my Gosh, Tris, it's been so long! We have to catch up some time. Also, I need another artist at my tattoo place. Chris, do you mind if I steal her from you?"

Chris, though slightly annoyed at the sudden intrusion by Tori, obliges and waves me goodbye, but not without giving me a stern look and saying, "This conversation isn't over~!" in a sing-song voice.

I sigh as I walk away from the Chasm. "Thanks for saving me back there. I honestly think I would've died of boredom if I'd stayed much longer," I tell her with a laugh. She smiles at me.

"I did miss you, though. We got to talk, and then I can get you a job at the parlor," Tori says, smiling. When I give her a confused look, not realizing she was serious when she told us that at the Chasm. She laughs and explains. "Four already told me that you would need a job. He talked to me almost as soon as he found out you were alive. He figured that since you loved art so much, you'd love to work as a tattoo artist. Honestly, it's not that much difference. Just skin instead of paper."

I shiver as she says this. "You made it sound gross!" I protest, but I laugh as well. "Oh my gosh, I haven't been here in so long. This is one of the few things about Dauntless that hasn't changed at all," I tell her as we step in the Tattoo Parlor.

"Well, there is one little change," Tori tells me with a small smile creeping up her face. "It _is_ under new management."

I gape at her. "You're the manager now?"

"Yea, it's kind of a long story, but basically the old manager got tired of dealing with clients that didn't like their tattoos, so he passed it on to me. Now I'm working hard to make sure that everyone likes their tattoos, starting with the rule that all drunk people are prohibited from getting or giving tattoos…" she trails off as she leads me to a wall of tattoos. "Just draw out some things, and if you find something you like while you're doodling, try penning it onto that fake arm over there," she instructs me, jutting her chin out to a very realistic fake arm next to a desk, "and I'll check up on you every so often."

I nod, and she leaves to go speak to a customer. I begin drawing on a few scraps of paper she gave me, and after a little while I draw out something I like. A distorted clock, with a heart sketched lightly inside of it. I pen it onto the fake skin, and am very pleased with how it comes out. I lose myself in the tattoos, eventually forgetting about even sketching anything out. By the time Tori returns, every inch of the arm is plastered with tattoos.

"Tris, this is amazing. If you don't mind me asking, what are all of these?" She inquires, examining the tattoos as I hand her the arm. **(A/N: PUN VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH INTENDED.)**

"Well, the entire background is a net. It's how I first was like my second chance when I got here, my chance to be brave. Then there's that distorted clock with a heart in it over by the elbow – love knows not time. I also had to put in my ravens, like normal, and I also added a few… it's kind of a long story," I explain to her. I have to spend the next few minutes showing her what all the tattoos mean, and by the time I'm done, Tori is very much impressed.

She grins at me, then asks, "Hey, would you mind if I kept this? It's actually a really great example of inking. You must have a lot of experience with art, huh?"

I return her smile. "Sure, thanks, it was one of the few hobbies I could get away with hiding back in Abnegation," I clarify, flustered and blushing.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that you got the job," she tells me with a laugh. I laugh with her. "Come back tomorrow around 10 AM. Oh, and, while you're here, do you want a new tattoo?"

I contemplate her request for a moment, and then nod. "Give me a minute to sketch it out, first."

I hand her a sketch of an hour glass with a heart stuck at the top. She cocks her head as she looks at it, and then smirks knowingly. "Four?" she asks, and it comes out more like a statement. I blush and nod almost unperceptively.

It takes her only ten minutes for her to tattoo it on my back, and the entire time, I'm sitting there with butterflies in my stomach. He will like it. Won't he? It is small, and if I were to push my elbows back towards each other behind me, it would probably disappear between my shoulder blades. It doesn't need to be big or extravagant, I decide. It needs to be ours.

And we are not extravagant people.

* * *

**TOBIAS**

When work ends, I cannot get out of there fast enough. The entire day has been spent pushing papers and forcing smiles as I greet people I don't know, and honestly don't care about. I can't stand politics, I can't stand having to fake things every time I meet a new person. Fake a laugh, choke out a greeting, and basically spend the entire day wondering when it will end. Finally, it's one pm, and I don't even stop to wave to the others at the office. I leave behind my paperwork and fake expressions, wanting only to go to the people I know I can be real with. Having spent the entire day wanting to die, I'd like a real conversation. And there are only about five or ten people on the planet that I can handle talking to right now.

Two of them stand talking animatedly outside of the Tattoo Parlor, occasionally laughing or smiling or gesturing obscurely. I manage to catch snippets of what Tori says to Tris. "Tattoo... love... amazing... job... tomorrow..." Eventually her voice fades out as a rather obnoxious group of new members passes by, obviously drunk from the looks on their faces. They run, or stumble, rather, towards the Pit, and begin toying with death. I shake my head and simply hope they don't go to the Chasm, and stay by the Pit.

I hear Tris and Tori share a relaxed laugh, and then they hug and wave goodbye. As they do, I notice a bandage sticking out from the side of her tank top. "Is that from a fight or something?" I wonder, scratching my chin. "No, no, not even _she _can get into a fight on her first day back since technically being dead. Must be a tattoo."

Tris runs up to me and hugs me, then takes my hand and starts tugging me towards the Chasm without pausing at all. "C'mon, I want to take you somewhere," she tells me with a guffaw. I chuckle and follow her, wondering where she is taking me. The Chasm? Training Room? Pit? Perhaps she will take me to the woods surrounding Dauntless. To be honest, I don't know, and I don't really care. I follow her, simply happy to see her laughing and smiling and running. After seeing so many tight, fake faces today, a warm, honest face is just what a need. _She_ is just what I need.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the completely fluff chapter. I know, it's completely out of plot and it's totally late, but it DOES lead up to something, so... y'know. You guys are all so sweet! Thanks to all the people I didn't get to thank for the reviews. A few of them I actually cried on, it was just so unexpected. I jumped from 3 to 16 watchers out of nowhere and suddenly had 19 reviews! You guys are so SWEET! AUGH! You all literally made my day, all those reviews got me back into the swing of writing. I pumped this out with 3,000 words to show my gratitude for your patience and kind words and my apologies for posting it so late.**

**Also, good or bad ideas? Your thoughts on:**

**1: Boarding School Fanfic**

**2: Before-They-Got-Together-And-While-Initiation-Is-Still-Going-On-Truth or Dare Fanfic**

**3: No War Fanfic**

**would be greatly appreciated. :)**

**Thank you so much again! 3**

**~Shade**


	7. Author's Note Please Read!

**Dear Readers,**

To the Anonymous Reviewer: Yes, I do know that Will, Eric, and Tori are dead. I liked Tori too much as a character not to bring her back. However, this does not mean she is completely safe. (Am I suggesting death? Injury? An attack? A death of a loved one? I don't know. But she isn't safe, yet.)  
I know Will was mentioned before, but I edited his name out and replaced it with Peter. Of course, every so often I mention Will's death. Wouldn't really make sense to put Peter in place of Will in that concept, now would it?  
And finally, when did I mention Eric? I don't believe I ever did.

I'm also here to say that I will be taking a short break while I gather some ideas for the next few chapters. It's difficult to figure out what would happen next. If you have any ideas, please message or review this.  
Don't worry, my friends! You won't be on Divergent withdrawl. Because... as I gather ideas for _this,_ I will be starting up a side-story: Faction High! (Ha ha, yea, super original, I know. But I asked around and apparently a lot of people would like to see my version of it. So I'll try it out. Maybe if I like the concept a lot, I'll make a Factions Boarding School? I dunno. For now, we'll just have to see how it plays out! .w.

Please, let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions AT ALL. I've been having slight - okay, major writers' block over the past few days. I think that by taking my mind off of it and working on a different story, it'll help me see the big picture for how it would turn out. (I mean, it works when I do word searches or look at puzzles, so why shouldn't it work now?)

I thank you for your patience and understanding, and I hope you'll continue to read my other stories while I try and figure this out the best that I can. If not, then don't unfavorite this, because it's as sure as the ground is solid that I'm going to update this, sooner or later (and most likely sooner, like within the next month kind of sooner).

You truly are an amazing group of people, and you really did make my day with all of those reviews.

Please read and review the other fan fictions I make while I gather ideas, and if you have ideas, _please _share them. I admit it, I need help with this.

Thank you,

~Shade


End file.
